The Apparitions of Our
Lady of Betania, Venezuela
By Michael K. Jones

NOTE: Maria Esperanza died Saturday August 7,
2004, at 4:36 a.m. in Southern Ocean County Hospital near the New Jersey shore,
after a long bout with a Parkinson's like ailment. All her family members were
by her side at the hospital. After her death the room was filled with a strong
fragrance of roses. She was 75.

Approved by the
Catholic Church, November 21, 1987, this
20th century apparition is still taking place. Our Lady of Betania, Venezuela appears to visionary Maria Esperanza. The
Virgin Mary manifests herself under the title, "Mary, Virgin and mother
Reconciler of all people and nations.

Maria Esperanza is considered to be one of the greatest mystics of our time.
Showered with many gifts from God, this 70 year old woman (as of 1998), has
displayed a number of incredible unexplainable phenomena that defies natural
humanistic explanation. She suffers with the piercing sign of stigmata, (the
bleeding wounds of Christ,) Maria Esperanza has the wondrous ability of healing,
levitation, bilocation, and capability of predicting future events, many yet to
come.

One of the most unusual phenomena which reveals itself on the body of Maria
Esperanza is the appearance of a rose which spontaneously bursts out from her
chest. This miraculous occurrence has taken place sixteen times. The Eucharist
has materialized in her mouth, and emissions of the scents of roses, and fruits
emanate from her body, much like Father Pio. Lastly the apparitions of rose
petals much like that of St. Theresa, the Little Flower.

The Eucharistic Miracles is the last event I will mention here. On December
8, 1991, Fr. Otty Ossa Aristizabal, pastor assigned to the Betania grotto, was
celebrating mass in the outdoor church. Fr. Otty performed the consecration; he
broke the host into four pieces, then elevated them. He placed them on the
patten and consumed one of the four pieces. After consuming the one portion, he
looked down to find that a spot of blood had appeared on one of the sections.
Medical tests were performed on the blood which proved it to be of human origin.

Mrs. Maria Esperanza was born in the village of San Rafael, Barrancas,
Monagas State, Venezuela on November 22, 1928. She had her first mystical
experience at the age of five with the apparition of Saint Theresa of the Little
Lower, who from the waters of the Orinoco River tossed her a red rose. At twelve
she became sick with an acute bronchial-pneumonia; but after having a vision
where she saw Our Lady of the Valley, Patroness of Margarita Island, she
recovered miraculously. During her adolescence, Mrs. Maria Esperanza's health
was frail and her heart grew weaker and weaker. Later on, the onset of another
illness partially paralyzed her. She was told by twenty-two physicians she had
no hope of life. Then, she was healed again after the Sacred Heart of Jesus
appeared to her, and gave her the first of hundreds of messages.

Following her profound desire to be a Religious, she lived for a period of
time with the Franciscan nuns in Merida. On October 3, 1954, in the Chapel of
the Convent, Mrs. Maria Esperanza had a vision of Saint Theresa of the Little
Flower who told her that her vocation was not to be a Religious, but a spouse
and a mother; that she would sanctify herself, and would travel the world. That
same day, the Sacred Heart of Jesus told her to go to Rome. She lived there with
the Sisters of the Ravasco Institute until she married Geo Bianchini Giani on
December 8, 1956 in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception in Saint Peter's
Basilica.

She has seven children, a boy and six girls, all married and with children of
their own. Beginning with the eldest they are: Maria Inmaculada, Maria
Esperanza, Maria Gracia, Giovanni, Maria Coromoto, Maria Auxiliadora, and Maria
del Carmen.

Mrs. Maria Esperanza has received countless messages from Our Lady. At times
she receives more than one message per day. Since the beginning, Our Lady has
predicted many historic events, wars, and different occurrences which have taken
place around the world. Even in such tragic prophecy Mrs. Esperanza always
delivers her messages with hope.